1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for disinfecting a variety of seeds including rice seeds, pepper seeds, melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, and watermelon seeds and, more particularly, to an apparatus for disinfecting seeds using hot water, which is capable of evenly and continuously disinfecting all kinds of seeds which may be disinfected using hot water, by using hot water of a temperature required for disinfection over a required period of time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a disinfectant is used to disinfect rice seeds and other seeds before sowing. In the case of using the disinfectant, the disease-causing microorganisms present on the outside of a seed can be killed. However, the disease-causing microorganisms present inside the shell of the seed are not disinfected. In bad cases, farming may be ruined.
Meanwhile, in order to disinfect seeds, a method for disinfecting seeds using hot water may be used. According to this conventional method, seeds are put into a bag comprising a net, and the bag is put into a large container which is filled with water at 60□. After the seeds are disinfected for about 10 to 15 minutes, the bag is taken out of the container. This disinfecting method complies with the principle of destroying microorganisms using hot water by putting seeds into the hot water.
In such a disinfecting method, the seeds must make contact with the water in the container. But, the area making contact with the water of seeds located at the inner position of the bag is greatly different from that of seeds located at the outer position of the bag.
That is, when the temperature of water is set at a disinfection temperature (e.g. 60□ to 65□), the seeds located at the outer position contact water of the disinfection temperature, so that the quality of the seeds becomes good. However, the seeds located at the inner position contact water having a temperature which is lower than the disinfection temperature, so that the quality of the seeds is not positively impacted.
Conversely, when the temperature of water is set to be high such that the seeds located at the inner position contact water at the disinfection temperature, the quality of the seeds located at the inner position becomes good. However, the seeds located at the outer position contact water, the temperature of which is too high, so that the seeds are cooked and thus lose their function.
The conventional method for disinfecting seeds using hot water is problematic in that all seeds cannot evenly make contact with water at a required disinfection temperature, so that it is difficult to obtain seeds which have a uniformly good quality.
In order to solve the problem, Korean Patent Appln. No. 10-2008-13664, entitled “Apparatus for Disinfecting Seeds using Hot Water”, has been proposed by the inventor of the present invention. According to the cited document, seeds to be disinfected, for example rice seeds, are put into a hopper, and an input regulator is opened, so that the seeds drop through a guide pipe little by little. Subsequently, the disinfection of the seeds is started using hot water. However, even after the seeds drop into the guide pipe by gravity, some of the seeds conglomerate and contact each other. Thus, it is difficult to evenly disinfect all seeds at a proper disinfection temperature.
Further, this disinfecting apparatus is problematic in that seeds are jammed between screw blades while the seeds are fed by a feed screw, so that the seeds are broken and thus lose their function.